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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/22428811">To Have and To Hold</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/WritingDoesntDiscriminate/pseuds/WritingDoesntDiscriminate'>WritingDoesntDiscriminate</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Batman - All Media Types</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>F/M</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-01-27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-01-27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-04-28 19:02:29</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,794</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/22428811</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/WritingDoesntDiscriminate/pseuds/WritingDoesntDiscriminate</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>This fic is from the 2018 DC Valentine Exchange. I was given @lunar-love-bird for the event.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Jason Todd/Reader</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>55</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>To Have and To Hold</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>You know I can still remember the day we met. The exact month, day, and hour. Days like those are hard to forget.  You don’t meet the person you want to spend the rest of your life with every day, so those memories tend to stick with you.</p><p>April 4th at 12 p.m. It was a Monday, and we had just come back from Spring Break. You were getting into an argument with a random kid. He was making fun of you for being the new kid. Man, fourth graders can be vicious.</p><p>I’m not going to lie; I thought your hair up in pigtails and the look on your face made for the perfect equation of someone that was going to end up in tears.</p><p>So, I got up from my tray, wanting to help you out because I’d been in your shoes. That new kid that doesn’t quite fit in with anyone in the class. But before I could get there, you punched him. Laid him out flat. It was the most hilarious thing I’d ever seen, and when I reached you, you almost punched me too.  I think that’s why I wanted to be your friend. You weren’t afraid to be yourself and stand up for who you are.</p><p>I think it was the start to a beautiful friendship.</p><p>I was adjusting my laces on my leather wing-tipped shoes when Dick walked into the room.</p><p>“She looks absolutely stunning man, I can’t wait for you to see how beautiful she looks.”</p><p>He slapped a hand to my back while grinning from ear to ear.</p><p>“She’s always been that way Dick, you should now that by now. Your tie is crooked, lemme fix it. Wouldn’t want you to walk out in front of all those people looking like a fool.”</p><p>“Thanks, little bro. I don’t know what I’d do without your eye for details.”</p><p>You know I still remember the day I told you I’d be there for you.</p><p>We were collecting flowers on a late spring day for our eighth-grade science class. You wanted the last one to be this huge, pure white magnolia blossom. That just happened to be at the top of the tree in my backyard. </p><p>You had made it up with ease but staying up on the branch and then coming down were when gravity wanted to make you the butt of the joke.</p><p>The branch you were sitting on snapped, and my world went into slow motion. I saw you tumbling down trying to grab onto branches to slow the fall, but you missed each one by a hair.</p><p>And then you landed.</p><p>On your arm with the most sickening snap I think I’ve ever head. I ran over to you and could see you trying not to burst into tears. </p><p>Everything about the following events blur together, but I do remember calling for my dad and worrying like hell when he took you away to the Emergency Room.</p><p>After hours of badgering, Alfred finally brought me to the hospital. Your mom led me through a maze of white washed walls laced with the stinging scent of antiseptic, to you.  </p><p>You were still out from surgery. Your mom had mentioned something about two pins to help your shoulder but I couldn’t really focus on anything but you.</p><p>I sat down next to the bed and took your hand in mine. I leaned in and said, “You scared me today. I didn’t particularly enjoy it because I couldn’t do anything about it other than watch you fall. I can be here now to help pick you back up, and that’s what I’m going to do. From this day on, I will always be there for you, by your side no matter what. That’s a promise you can count on.”</p><p>I didn’t even care if you could hear me. I just knew I wanted, needed to be there with you through anything life could throw at us.  </p><p>Roy just came in and said it’s time to head out. The time has come to start the first day of the rest of our lives.</p><p>Dick holds open the door to the hall and motions me through.</p><p>“You look nervous man. Getting cold feet? I sure hope not cause you have the most important job of the day.”</p><p>I let out a low chuckle.</p><p>“Nah, I just get a little testy around large crowds is all. Once we get out there I’ll be fine.”</p><p>“Good, I don’t need you hacking into the flower arrangements. It would kinda put a damper on things.”</p><p>He smiled and turned to wait at the door that led into the main hall.</p><p>Being left alone to my thoughts I couldn’t help but remember the day I realized I had fallen in love with you.</p><p>It was during your astronomy phase, just after high school. I “borrowed” one of Bruce’s trucks and I took you to a field on the outskirts of town.</p><p>We were piled into the bed with the comforters, blankets, and pillows from both of our rooms. You brought snacks and I brought the tunes. A personal mixtape of songs that we’d compiled over our years together.</p><p>We watched the sun set and stared at the stars, or well you stared at the stars and I stared at you. I know it’s a cheesy thing to say but it’s true. The way you would light up and smack my arm in an excited frenzy when you would point out the constellations that spanned across the inky black sky.  The way you would talk about the Greek legends and how they reminded you of people throughout your life. I love the way your enthusiasm would spread to everything you did no matter how small or trivial.</p><p>So I took a chance and told you how I had felt. After what felt like an eternity of sitting in silence you finally told me you felt the same. Time seemed to stop when we shared a kiss underneath that inky summer sky.</p><p>You know I can still remember the day I knew I wanted to spend the rest of my life with you.</p><p>I’d had a pretty shit day, a crummy exam grade, trouble at work, and a fight with my dad. I hadn’t let on about it when I talked to you on the phone, but somehow you just knew. That’s why I don’t think I was to surprised when I found you sitting cross legged outside my apartment door with your nose in a book.</p><p>You didn’t even look up at me when I asked what you were doing on my welcome mat. You just held up a bag of our favorite take out and your copy of our favorite movie.</p><p>“Don’t deny that you’re in a foul mood, I love you so you can’t hide anything from me, not anymore anyway. Just accept whatever has happened. You’re skipping patrol tonight so now it’s time to watch corny movies to take your mind off everything.”</p><p>You took the time out of your own crazy and stressed out schedule to be with me. I knew you cared about people. It was in your nature, but I think it took all this time for me to figure out that you actually loved me and that this isn’t some crazy dream.<br/>And that’s when I knew that I needed to tell you how I felt because I never wanted to let you go.  </p><p>After everything that’s happened, I am standing here, at the end of the aisle in my suit that’s perfectly tailored for the occasion, but of course it would be perfect; you picked it out yourself. The small white rose on my lapel matches the rest of the decorations and even gives off a slight scent when I turn my head.  </p><p>I’m nervous as hell, but here I am, chin held high with an expression that probably doesn’t hide the emotions running rampant inside me very well. I glance around and watch as a small butterfly lands on the flower arrangement sitting slightly in front of me.</p><p>I get pulled out of my reverie when the music starts to play. It’s a song that we’ve loved for almost our whole time together. I can just see the top of your head from here as you begin to walk down the aisle. My heart starts to beat hard in my chest, almost to the point where I can hear it in my ears. </p><p>When I can finally see you, it’s like a complete 180. I feel like my heart has stopped. You are breathtaking. The white gown you wouldn’t let me see is absolutely stunning, it reflects your style perfectly, and gives you an added amount of grace and poise that I didn’t think was possible.</p><p>The voice in the back of my mind starts to make itself known. I don’t belong here with you, I should leave, for my own good as well as yours. But when I meet your eyes I’m bound to my spot, shoes nailed to the floor.  I’m here for you through thick and thin, hell or high water.</p><p>I can’t help but think that everything I’ve done is for you. And I always swore that I would be there for you, regardless of what happens. If you ever needed me at all, I would be by your side in a heartbeat, no matter the time or place. How did I, out of all the people in the world, end up on the other end of the aisle, after everything that happened. And most of all, how did it happen that you are the one walking down it?</p><p>Everyone in the room is silent, their eyes fixated on you. Never in my life did I think I would ever end up here. I feel tears well up in my eyes, but I will them away. I can’t do this. Not here. Not in front of everybody. And especially not in front of you.</p><p>I think back to all the moments we’ve shared together. Every joke and prank and heartbreak. Every late-night ice cream run and early morning movie. Staring at the stars until you fall asleep with your head on my chest. Every moment you have shared with me has led to this one.</p><p>Once you reach the end of the aisle and take my hand everything comes back into focus. We walk together up to the altar and as the officiant begins the ceremony I can’t help but think about how unabashedly happy it makes me that in a few short moments I’ll be yours and you’ll be mine.</p><p>Here’s to the rest of our lives together, Mrs. Todd.</p>
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